The Game of Fate
by ayshariham
Summary: ."Kyouya immediately caught her interest. The powerful aura radiating from him was impossible to miss." Can Hazel and Azure fight destiny as both of them find themselves falling for the same guy? Kyo x OC. Hope you like it :D
1. The Host Club

This story focuses more on the lives of Azure and Hazel than the Host Club. If you read this and think, it's going too fast, that was my aim. A fast-paced story, without too many details.

Please review and let me know what you liked/hated about it. Even a sentence or two is enough =]

Chapter 1.

"It's pretty boring around here", she said. "What do you guys do when you're free?"

Rosa's eyes sparkled. "A NEWBIE! Do you think she's eligible?" she asked to the huddle of girls.

"Well Tamaki-Senpai says you only have to be a girl to be eligible…"

"What are you guys talking about?", Azure asked, wide-eyed.

"It's a VERY SPECIAL Club. We all belong to it… The Host Club."

"The What? Umm…See, If this has anything to do with learning how to serve guests and being all prim and proper, I'm not sure I want to go, I learn so much at home…"

A girl twittered. "Oh NO! It's a club comprising of seven Gorgeous guys, who give you company. Just talking and maybe a bit of occasional fun. They do all these

cosplays and stuff, It's great!"

"Umm…Sounds weird to me…"

Rosa's eyes narrowed. "I was afraid of this. If you scorn the Host Club, You have NO right to be there."

"Oh Cmon Rosa…She hasn't even met them…I'm sure her attitude will be very different once she meets them…How about we go introduce her now?"

"Wa..Wait….We're going now? Well, Mind if I ask my friend along? She might enjoy it, you know. I'll text her now."

________________________________________________________________________

Beep. Beep.

Hazel sighed and reached for her mobile.

1 new text message.

From: Azure

Meet me outside 3rd Muzic room now!

Now? Weren't they supposed to revise up on those Bio notes? And they had to go to to confirm their extra classes at 5pm. Well, It can't be helped…she couldn't study alone.

She made her way slowly towards the 3rd Music room, still acquainting herself with the ways of the school. The size of the school still surprised her…It was just so huge. She wondered why Azure felt like playing music now. As she neared the room, she was surprised to see a huddle of girls outside.

"Hazel! Over here!" Azure was waving her over.

"Huh? What's going on?"

"I was bored, so these girls offered me to check out the Host Club. And I wanted you to come along" Azure quickly filled Hazel in on the details.

"We're gonna spend time accompanied by guys…What's this…A dating club?"

"Hush! Not so loud…Should we go in now?" A girl whispered.

"Yeah!…Oh I can't open the door, I'm shaking out of excitement"

"We HAVE to open the door. This is…"

Azure made a face. "I'll open it"

"Welcome, My precious Princesses"

Hazel gasped audibly. She thought she had entered into her English Textbook or something. The seven guys in the room were all dressed up in outrageous 15th century outfits…Definitely the Shakespearean time, she thought.

"WHAT is this? A cross between a dating and a drama club", she wondered aloud.

"Ah, two new faces"

"Hazel and Azure. 1-A."

"Huh? You know us?"

"If a princess enters this school, we make it our duty to learn about her" murmured a blond guy, lifting Azure's hand to his lips. "It's an honour to meet you. My name is Tamaki. I'll be your host for today"

Hazel stepped back in confusion hearing the crazed girls squealing. Azure blushed as she was led away by Tamaki and the gaggle of girls followed. Hazel waited, unsure of whether she wanted to join them. Honestly, they looked a lil…mad… What was the fuss about, she wondered.

A short, black haired guy with delicate features stopped before her. "Would you like some tea, Miss?" he asked, balancing a tray of goodies.

"Erm…Yeah, Ok" said Hazel before following Haruhi to a table.

Looking around the heavily decorated room, Hazel took in the sights. A blond kid digging into what seemed like ten plates of cakes, a black-haired man with a handkerchief tenderly wiping away messes on the kid, two identical twins laughing their heads off at some joke, Tamaki surrounded by the girls…and … a black-haired, bespectacled guy clacking away at a laptop.

Kyouya immediately caught Hazel's interest. The powerful aura radiating from him was impossible to miss. Even though he had not yet spoken a word, Hazel knew he was not someone to mess around with. Yet, the mysterious air around him attracted her. What was he hiding under his outer self?, she wondered.

Kyouya felt the insistent gaze and raised his eyes to look for the perpetrator. His eyes met Hazel's and he fixed his stare upon her. She looked back in surprise, and then half-blushed, lowering her gaze. Smirking inwardly, Kyouya hit the keys again.


	2. Dream Guys

Chapter 2

The girls made their daily trips to the host club. Azure went because she thought it was harmless fun, and Hazel tagged along, partly because she had nothing better to do, and partly because Kyouya refused to exit her mind. She wanted to peel away at his outer layer and observe each emotion, each thought inside him. Being a psychology student had increased her interest in personalities. _What was the purpose of such a cold frontier_, she wondered for the hundredth time.

Azure giggled at another joke the twins made. She liked being with these guys, she felt so light-hearted every time she met them. She looked over at Hazel and sighed. Azure wished Hazel would lighten up a bit now and then. Even though Azure and Hazel had a lot of common traits, Azure was the fun-loving of the two. "Stop worrying about nothing, and enjoy yourself", she whispered fiercely at Hazel.

Startled, Hazel shifted her gaze away from Kyouya. Se had been observing him for a while now. He did nothing, other than use his laptop or scribble something in his book. She was itching to talk to him, but whenever she tried, he would answer in such a manner, she felt freezing in Alaska would be warmer than being at the receiving end of his answers.

______________________________________________________________________

"What's your dream guy like, Hazel?", Azure asked, curling up in her bed. It was the week-end and Azure was sleeping over at Hazel's.

"Erm…Smart…Er, nice, I guess", Hazel murmured, unsure of her answer.

"Everyone wants smart, nice, and good-looking guys", said Azure laughing. "C'mon, there must be something special about your dream guy. Think, Think…"

"Well…this might sound a lil weird, but… troubled guys really attract my attention a lot"

"Wha? What's this? Hazel likes bad-guys-turning-good types?" Azure said in mock surprise

"Whatever, it's not that big a deal. I like the idea of being the reason someone changes", Hazel said, hitting Azure with a pillow. " What about you, Az?"

"I want a really cool guy. Definitely smart, I can't stand stupidity. A perfect gentleman though…Hmm…What else…? Someone fun too, I guess", Azure said.

They lay for two minutes in silence.

"Erm, Hazel", Azure said, " Someone has caught my attention, but I want you to swear you won't tell a soul about this"

"Promise. Who's it?", Hazel said, excited.

"Erm….hehe, this is embarrassing", murmered Azure. "You know Kyouya? From the host club? I can't help but think he almost fits my dream guy profile"

Hazel and Azure giggled for a few more minutes whispering about Kyouya and their dream guys. When Azure finally rolled over to sleep, Hazel pulled her covers up . _Kyouya? Azure liked Kyouya_? Well, it was possible, since Azure and Hazel were alike in many ways, and loved a lot of the same things. Not that it mattered, she was sure Kyouya wouldn't spare a glance for her. Azure might actually be perfect for Kyouya. She was smart too, and her fun personality might actually draw out Kyouya's fun side. If he had one. Besides, Azure was beautiful. Hazel fit under the cute type. If you wanted to pair up a girl with someone as good-looking as Kyouya, Azure was the way to go.

_It's not like I like him or anything_, she thought passionlessly_. I'm just interested in why he is the way he is. If he and Azure get together, it'll just make it easy for me to understand him. _Yes, she thought, turning over, I hope Azure gets him. Azure would be able to handle him. She drifted off into sleep, giggling at an image of Kyouya in a horse outfit with Azure standing beside him with a whip.

____________________________________________________________________________

Liked it? Hated it? Let me know =D


	3. Dented

Chapter 3

Azure settled into the table at which Kyouya was working. Besides lifting his head to glance at her for a second, he refused to acknowledge her presence.

Azure fixed her stare upon him, not saying a word. Slightly annoyed, slightly amused, Kyouya matched her stare with an icy one of his own. They stared in silence for around two minutes, unblinking, neither ready to lower their glance.

Azure suddenly broke into a smile. A genuine smile, like she was happy to be playing this ridiculous stare-game. It surprised Kyouya, the smile that came out of nowhere, and he blinked.

Azure's smile widened, and she stood up. Turning away, she went to join the twins. A couple seconds later, she was doubling up in laughter at the twins.

Hazel was surprised herself. She admired Azure's boldness, her joyous personality, the way she managed things. She noticed how Azure didn't even once look towards Kyouya since she left the table.

On the other hand, she could sense a slight perplexity in Kyouya's demeanor. He hit the backspace a lot more often, meaning he was making mistakes while typing, she thought, hiding the urge to giggle. Just that one little thing had been able to scratch his ice surface. This guy just got more and more interesting.


	4. Dare to ask?

Chapter 4

As the days passed, Hazel and Azure became good friends with the host club. They often stayed back to help with the arrangements and decorations, and soon learned Haruhi's secret. Azure concentrated on coming up with creative ideas for the decorations while Hazel had a hard time dragging the two to reality when their plans totally blew out of budget.

"OOh, I know, Let's hire a band, and get those flashy lights, and turn this place into a disco" Azure said excitedly.

"Awesome! We can get a temporary bar and stuff it with drinks, and hold a dancing competition! The winner gets a free trip to Switzerland!" Tamaki joined in, overflowing with more stupidity than usual.

"GUYS! WAY too expensive! AND NOISY! How about we just become the band? We could dress up and each one of us could play an instrument" Hazel cut in.

"But…I want a competition!" Tamaki whined

"Ok…Erm…How about… an open-mike thing? Anyone can sing and the winner gets…" she trailed off, unsure about a prize good enough to shut Tamaki up but still under budget.

" A full make-over at Sparkly-Parlour", said Kyouya, appearing beside Hazel." Since only girls will be present, it'll be fine. But I'm going to charge a fee for entrance. We're not paying for the prize from our budget" he said, his eyes gleaming.

Azure and Tamaki nodded their agreement. Kyouya drifted back to his table. Hazel sat down, her thoughts wandering back to Kyouya and Azure. The two hadn't spoken since that day. It was like a small cracker fizzing, she was waiting for it to burst. Kyouya always had girls squealing all over him, how did he feel about this strange reaction from Azure…_Did he want to challenge her again, not wanting to lose to a woman. Or did he still think everyone was beneath his level, that no one could rise to his position and stand equally beside him?…_

Hazel looked up just in time to see Azure walk over to Kyouya. _Is she going to do the stare-thing again_, Hazel wondered.

Azure sat across Kyouya. Her heart was thumping like crazy and she struggled to keep her cool attitude. "Did you ever go out on a date, Kyouya?", she asked casually.

"That's absolutely not any of your business. And may I add that you are crumpling up my notes? If you mess them up, I'll have to ask you to make me a copy. A very neat one" he replied, keeping his fake smile plastered on.

Azure immediately lifted her arm away from his notes. "Sorry", she mumbled. She fumbled with her thoughts for a second, but composed herself quickly.

_Smart move,_ thought Hazel. _He changed the subject to distract her, while abandoning her original question._

"I'll take that as a No" announced Azure.

"Take it in whichever way you wish" he replied, back to staring at his laptop screen

Azure was clearly frustrated at this lack of response. She opened her mouth a couple of times, but shut it each time.

_Would she try infuriating him_, Hazel thought. Or _would that backfire?_…

"Please go out on a date with me, Kyouya-san" Azure finally said.

Kyouya grinned inwardly. He would take pleasure turning her down, this girl who dared to challenge him. But when Kyouya looked up, and met her stare, he faltered a little. Her eyes looked back defiantly, but there was this odd look in there. He couldn't bring himself to say "No". Besides, there was something interesting about this girl.

"Fine", he finally said. "But I'm only accepting it as a challenge. You'll make all the arrangements. Show me you can last a day with me and I'll accept you as someone worthwhile"

Azure's brow furrowed a little at this answer, but her heart was already doing little leaps in her chest. "I accept", she said, as calmly as she could, "I'll definitely last a day"

She winked and left the table.

Kyouya was a little annoyed at himself for accepting her offer. _This would just be a waste of time. He half-considered calling her back to reject her, but the thought of going back on his words almost killed him. Oh, well, he would just have to bear it_.

_______________________________________________________________________

Hazel smiled to herself. Kyouya had just accepted a date? Way to go, Azure!

Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud crash. Tamaki had dropped a teapot and was staring at Kyouya with is mouth wide-open. Actually, everyone was staring at Kyouya. Hazel realized everyone in the room had heard Azure's conversation.

"KYOUYA! Azure! Kyo…" Tamaki seemed incapable of saying anything coherent for a while now.

The rest of the host club just grinned and resumed their activities as soon as Kyouya directed his special-stop-staring-at-me-or-I-WILL-kill-you look.

Azure beckoned to Hazel to follow her out of the room and they both broke into a run towards the school grounds.

The air was filled with a shriek as the two jumped with joy.


	5. Victory

Chapter 5

In Azure's opinion their date was a success. She had kept it simple, dinner and then a walk in the park. Kyouya had spoken little over dinner, even after Azure's efforts to get him talking. The evening was cool, and the walk was pleasant. She took him to her favourite spot near a babbling brook. The view was pretty, and Kyouya soon found himself enjoying the company of this bubbly girl. Unlike other girls, her talk was not mindless nonsense, she spoke her mind, and her chatter didn't irk him.

She really is beautiful, he thought, as the moonlight danced off her face. Suddenly aware of his thoughts, he looked towards the river, and asked her about her family.

Even at such a young age, Azure had already grasped the concepts of her family business, and helped put her father whenever she could.

"One day, I'm going to own the business", she said proudly." And it'll be the best business out there, mark my words."

"Looks like I have competition", said Kyouya

"Not if we merge companies" said Azure laughing.

Around 8pm, they said their goodbyes and Azure headed home, smiling. He couldn't ignore her after all this, could he?

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Hazel hung up the phone, her mind spinning with all that Azure had told her about the date. This was a good advancement. How long would Kyouya last now…?

As she went to bed, she wondered why her chest hurt when she thought about Kyouya…


	6. Time ticks

Chapter 6

Months passed. The relationship with Azure and Kyouya was complicated. Though he hadn't outright told her, he was surely interested in her as more than a friend, and Azure had to remain content with that. They had not gone on any more dates since then, but other than increased conversations between the two, nothing serious happened.

Hazel and Azure continued to hang out with the host cub, and accompanied them on trips. The host club was almost family to them, a happy part of their lives. Tamaki grew close to Azure, his silliness endearing him to her. Hazel became good friends with Haruhi, finding amusement in criticizing the Host Club with her. (Out of Kyouya's earshot of course, they didn't plan on dying young)

Hazel ignored the growing pain in her heart whenever she saw Kyouya and Azure together.

______________________________________________________________________

More months passed. Kyouya and Tamaki graduated and went on to college. During the summer break, Kyouya and Tamaki each worked in their family business. Azure helped her dad out with his business.

Kyouya and Azure got more serious. They went out a couple more times, gifts were exchanged, Azure drew little hearts on her note-book and was completely dazed the night of their first kiss.

Hazel managed to get a job as Kyouya's secretary. She liked ordering lists and typing data, so she didn't mind her job. The job paid well, even if the timings were harsh and the work-load was heavy. Her heart calming down and the pain disappearing whenever she saw Kyouya was compensation enough.


	7. Interference

Chapter 7

My Private Journal.

If you're not ME, then STAY OUT.

Kyouya regarded the book with a wary eye. He would probably find something interesting in there. But if Azure found out that he had read her diary…

He smirked. He was her boyfriend now. At least he had some right to learning her personal thoughts. And what she wouldn't know couldn't harm her…or him.

Dear Diary,

I am SO EXHAUSTED. Tamaki dragged me around the whole amusement park, I think we tried EVERY single ride. He even sat on the MERRY GO ROUND! I mean, Yeah he can be adorable and all that, but STILL! And he tried winning a teddy bear for me at the Shooting Stall, but his aim is so pathetic, he hit the stall keeper in the eye…We had to make a run for it…

And when we tried the roller coaster, he screamed so loud, everyone within ten miles must have been deafened…My ears still feel pretty weird.

Hazel couldn't come because she was working. I wish Kyo would take me to places sometimes…He just seems to be so busy.

Well, I'm gonna go call him now.

Luv, Azure.

Dear Diary,

I had the MOST FABULOUS dinner EVER. Tamaki found this new restaurant, and even though it's in the commoner's world, it had the most delicious cuisines. Of course, Tamaki had to order every single thing on the menu, since he was afraid the food served might be less in quantity (since he still thinks commoners are EXTERMELY poor or something and wouldn't be able to produce enough food) . We ended up packing food and taking it home. He's such a complete idiot, he actually tried hitting on this waitress and ended up getting slapped. Well, he made up for it by paying for the entire meal though. He's definitely trained to be a gentleman.

Kyouya and I have a DATE tomorrow…He's going to take me to "Le Plaza". I'm just hoping it goes great. I have this totally awesome black dress and this gorgeous set which Hazel bought me, So I'm all set.

3 Azure.

Dear Diary,

I had a fantastic day. I was surprised with flowers in the morning, and I thought Kyouya had sent them, but it turned out to be Tamaki who was extremely excited at the prospect of me going on another date. He's so sweet. Actually everyone seemed to be pretty excited even though it's like our fourth date. Hazel came early to help me dress up. And Kyouya arrived, cool and gorgeous as ever, and we had a really nice time. He had to leave early though, since he had a meeting. =[ I wish he could spend more time with me.

3 Azure

Footsteps alerted Kyouya and he quickly shut the book, and returned to clacking on his laptop. He was surprised to see Tamaki enter the room.

"Eh, Kyouya! What are you doing here?"

"I could just as well ask you the same question…By the way, did you deliver those files to the office?"

"Oh…I KNEW I was forgetting something." sighed Tamaki, slapping his forehead. " Ah! I should probably go and get them now. But…I was going to take Azure to the mall…She was looking forward to it…" From the look on his face, it was clear he was the one dying to go.

"Mall, eh? Hmm…" Kyouya's face remained blank as he tapped away.

"AAH! Kyouya? Maybe you could get Hazel to get the files…Just this one time?"

"Hmm…I guess. You're going to have to pay her extra for it, though."

"No Problem! Where is Azure, by the way?"

"She went to have a bath."

"Oh! So Kyouya", Tamaki said, making himself comfortable on the couch," When will we hear some good news?"

"Good News?" Something flickered across Kyouya's face as he looked up.

"Yeah…You know…You guys getting engaged or something?" Tamaki winked.

"Ah! Well, I -"

He was saved from answering the question when Azure entered.

"Tamaki! What are you doing over here?" Azure's seemed pretty astonished by his presence.

"We're going to the mall, remember ?"

"But Tamaki…We are supposed to go tomorrow. Honestly, can't you even keep track of the days in a week? You're really careless you know…you REALLY need a baby sitter to take care of you even now. If it weren't for Shima, you would …"

She broke off, realising Tamaki was fuming in the corner again.

"Doesn't realise how much I was lookin forward to it…Insensitive…Ungrateful…AND THERES SUCH A WONDERFUL EXPO, only for today…"

Tamaki was muttering in his nook.

Azure sighed. "Kyouya?"

"Maybe you should go along. We could have lunch some other time."

"But…You're never free…I…"

"It won't do to spoil Tama's plans. He would probably just tag behind us to the restaurant, sulking…And, I had to catch up on some work, so I'll just finish it now"

"I DONOT TAG ALONG! REALLY, KYOUYA ,SAYING WHATEVER YOU WANT-"

"Shut up, Tamaki"

Back to his corner again.

"Kyouya…I…"

"Well, I better get going. I'll call you later."

She sighed again. Trust Tamaki to mess up her plans. It was already so hard to get Kyouya to agree to her plans…and this fool…

"Ah! Thank you Kyouya. You're a true friend. I'm so delighted you agreed to let Princess Azure keep me company." Tamaki bowed, prince-like.

Kyouya swept out of the room smiling, but his eyes were narrowed with other emotions.

---x----x-----x


	8. Soulfull

Chapter 8

Another year was coming to an end. Hazel and Azure had finally graduated. The day her summer break started, Hazel re-applied for the secretarial post, and managed to get the same job. Azure found it weird that a psychology student wished to work as a secretary. "Just getting it out of my system", laughed Hazel, " I like the idea of being a secretary"

______________________________________________________________________

Hazel knew what was wrong with her. She had made the mistake of falling in love with the guy her best friend was in love with.

But running away from the truth and denial was something Hazel was good at.

"So what if I like him a little?" she thought. "Azure made the first move, he likes her, and besides, they suit each other"

There's always a lot more fish in the sea, she told herself. She would find someone soon.

She was unable to justify why her day-dreams revolved around a certain fish.

_____________________________________________________________________

"Alright, so this is my theory", said Hazel into the phone, swiveling around slightly in her chair. It was her lunch break, and she had used the time to catch up with Azure, who had been busy lately.

"Every time we meet a new person, we deposit a part of our soul into them." she continued.

"Part of our SOUL?!", asked Azure skeptically." You've been reading too much Harry Potter…"

"Hear me out!" said Hazel giggling, " The closer we're to the person, the larger the piece of soul we leave in them. So when they betray us, or die, for example, it hurts. And the closer a person is, the more it hurts. Makes sense, right?" she concluded, sipping some more of her luke-warm coffee.

"Hmm…", mused Azure, " Yeah, I get what you're saying. Kind of. Try telling Tamaki about your theory, I'm sure he'll like the idea of leaving souls around" she laughed.

"Speaking of Tamaki, I think Haruhi might be in love with him. FINALLY. It's taken her long enough to realise" said Hazel

"Whaa? When did this happen? Wow, and I never noticed…" Azure trailed off. " Hey, Hazel, my break's up, I have to go back in. Catch you later!" she hung up.

Smiling, Hazel flipped her phone shut. She made a face when she took another sip of her now cold coffee, and got up to get a refill.

As she passed Kyouya's office, she absent-mindedly looked in through the glass window. Kyouya sat at his desk, his head resting in his hands. He looked troubled. Was it some business problem, wondered Hazel. Or did this have anything to do with Azure…?


	9. Storm

Chapter 9

"Hazel! You won't believe this!" cried Azure, rushing into Hazel's flat. Azure had a key to the flat ever since Hazel had moved from her house to this flat. She called it becoming independent. Azure secretly thought she just wanted more privacy from her family and a lot more freedom.

Hazel was startled at Azure's voice and almost dropped the toast she was having for breakfast. It was the weekend, which meant she could have a proper breakfast instead of gobbling down coffee and rushing to college and work.

"I. GOT. A. SCHOLARSHIP. IN LONDON.!" Azure announced, waltzing into the kitchen.

"Oh my god. Wow. WOW. Azzzie, WOW." Hazel congratulated her, " When did you find out?"

"Just now! The college emailed me, I can't believe it, a full-paid scholarship. This is crazy" said Azure. Hazel nodded her agreement, abandoning her breakfast to hug Azure.

"Term starts in September. Hazel, I have like, a month to prepare. I don't even know what I'm going to do" Azure started to get frantic.

"Wait, you ARE going right?" asked Hazel.

"Yeah, I'd be a fool to turn this down. A scholarship is an achievement for me, I'm definitely taking it. I'm just not sure… I mean, it'll mean moving away from you all, my family, Kyouya…" she trailed off thoughtfully.

__________________________________________________________________

A week later, Hazel thought she might be experiencing déjà vu when Azure rushed into her flat yet again. Only, this time, she wasn't smiling. In fact, she looked close to tears.

"What? What happened?" cried Hazel, rushing over.

"Nothing, Nothing, Kyouya…he…." whispered Azure, struggling to compose herself.

Hazel waited impatiently for Azure to speak. Clutching a glass of water, Azure finally spoke.

"It was horrible. We had a fight. I was telling him about the scholarship in UK, and I was worried about it affecting our relationship, you know, and he just lost it. That selfish, egoistical "thing" thinks he's always right." said Azure, recounting what had happened earlier that evening.

------------------------------------

"Kyouya, I know this is hard, but we'll work things out. A long-distance relationship isn't that bad is it? It's not like I'm never coming back" she had said, trying to reassure him.

He seemed unhappy about her having to move. But there was something else under all that, something Azure couldn't place a finger upon. Why was he being so difficult?

The fight had escalated, with Azure losing her temper and unleashing her anger at him. " You are a WORKAHOLIC! You could NEVER make time for me. ADMIT it, I am never a priority for you. I am always this thing in the background, which you could play with when you were bored, but dumped away as soon as something more important, like "WORK", came up" she stormed.

Kyouya's glare would have boiled water, but Azure didn't flinch. She had had enough. If he couldn't treat her with the respect she deserved, she didn't want this.

Two minutes later, she was regretting what she said. Kyouya hadn't spoken a word yet. "I'm sorry" she muttered, " I just… I don't get it, don't you trust me?"

"No, I don't" he said, before sweeping out of the room.

-----------------------------------------------------

"Aww, Azzie, I'm sorry, this is horrible, but… just talk to him, it'll be fine" said Hazel, trying to console her.

" No, it's not fine. I think I'm going to end this relationship Hazel. I can't handle it anymore"

Two days later, when Azure came back to the flat crying, Hazel knew it was over.


	10. Farewell

Chapter 10

It had been four years since they first walked into the 3rd Music Room. Hazel smiled feebly at the memories they had created there. She tried to talk to Azure, but somehow she didn't think she could say anything coherent.

The airport was bustling, and Hazel was finding it hard to say goodbye. Azure counted her luggage, then looked at the counter, then went back to fiddling with the locks.

She's finding it just as awkward, thought Hazel. Damn it, how do you send off a best friend?

"WOOHOOO! PRINCESSES! I hope you weren't planning on taking off without a proper goodbye!", came a shout.

Roaring through the crowds, Tamaki and Honey were perched on a trolley, with the crazy twins pushing it along, and Haruhi and Mori running to keep up, all of them grinning from ear to ear.

Azure looked teary-eyed at the group. A lot of hugging and promises ensued, ending with Tamaki sobbing and the rest of the group trying desperately to calm him down due to the looks they got from the rest of the airport.

"Well, this is it, I guess", said Azure. " Bye" she raised a hand in farewell, and walked towards the counters. Soon, she was out of sight.

______________________________________________________________________

Hazel fought back the tears wanting to gush out of her. She would save crying for later. She had to go back to work.

______________________________________________________________________

Hazel had almost finished up. I'll just leave Kyouya's agenda on his table, she thought, he'll need it tomorrow morning. Picking up a few other files, she went to his office, and almost backed out in surprise. Kyouya was still sitting at the table, papers scattered around him, his head down on the table. She tip-toed her way over, unsure of whether he was asleep. He didn't move when she put down the files. She could feel the sadness enveloping him.

Instinctively, she moved her hand to lightly graze his hair. He didn't react. Probably asleep, she thought. He was obviously broken up over Azure. Was this the guy under the ice-cover, she wondered, leaving the office.

_______________________________________________________________________

As the plane took off, Azure felt her eyes watering as she thought about the club. Kyouya hadn't even come to see her off, she thought miserably. A tear trickled down her cheek and she wiped away at it furiously. I'm not going to cry over some loser with an ego problem, she told herself angrily.

She couldn't stop the rest of her tears no matter how hard she wiped them away.


	11. Blunder?

Chapter 11

Once she joined college, Hazel continued to work part time at the company, but this time in the Human Resources department. She didn't get to see Kyouya as often, but she didn't mind. She didn't want to complicate things. Above all, she hated the guilt in her when she felt happy watching him.

She stayed after-hours usually, because in these silent hours, Kyouya would remain at work, and she could get some privacy to talk to him. Not that he talked much, but slowly, as he opened up to her, Hazel understood what had ruined Azure's relationship.

Insecurity. Under his I-don't-really-care barrier, he was suffering from insecurity. And Hazel had to agree that it was justified. It was the first time he had opened up to a girl, but Azure giving attention to any other guy, like Tamaki, left him miserable.

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Azure was happy at her university. It was like her dream come true, and she worked hard, striving for the top. She pushed Kyouya, and the Host Club and Hazel out of her mind and focused on her studies. She didn't want any pain interfering with her work now.

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A year and a half later, things were pretty much the same. Hazel carried two cups of coffee to Kyouya's room, humming a tune. She ceased when entered the office. The sight of his tired face awoke the pity in her, and she couldn't help wishing there was something she could do to help him. Anything at all.

"Coffee? Thanks" he mumbled before going back to his papers. She sighed and set the coffee down.

"You work too much." said Hazel. " If you don't get some fresh air, you'll die soon"

He clicked a button and the window behind him opened. Cold air gushed in blowing away the papers. He immediately clicked the button again, shutting the window.

Stifling a giggle, Hazel set about to pick up the papers. Arranging them in neat piles, she tried again.

"If you think working like this is going to make you forget, you're wrong. You can't just forget a part of your life, Kyouya."

"Oh yeah? Seems to be working fine for me." he replied, a slight sneer in his voice

"I mean it. You're just exhausting yourself. Face your mistake and move on. You can't move on until you leave the past behind in peace" she said

"Then what do I do?" he asked, looking up at her. "If you think your psycho-therapy is going to help me, then by all means, please go ahead"

The hurt and broken up guy was back. She could see it in his eyes, the pain. No more ice left to protect him, she thought. He was completely vulnerable.

Without realizing what she was doing, Hazel had leaned in and closed the gap between their lips.


	12. Contract

Chapter 12

The next few weeks, Hazel avoided Kyouya as much as she could. She cursed herself for losing control that night, and even though Kyouya brushed off the matter when she apologized, she couldn't bring herself to face him. At night, she lay with the guilt suffocating her, and she wished she could tell Azure about it. It was impossible, she knew, so she continued spending the nights with her nightmares.

That's why when she saw Kyouya walking towards her office, she considered jumping from the window to get away. _It wasn't too high, they were on the fifth building. If some hay covered truck passed by, and she managed to jump onto it, she wouldn't be hurt too much. Risky, though. Maybe she could try the pipes. Damn these buildings, why didn't they have pipes? Will my nails dig deep enough into these windows to let me climb down_-

"You could just use the lift like normal people" Kyouya said startling Hazel and making her fall into her chair. Flaming with embarrassment, she bent over, pretending to pick up some non-existent papers.

"I need to talk to you, Hazel. 5pm, meet me at the restaurant downstairs." He left the room as quietly as he had come.

_Talk? About what? Was he going to fire her?_ Hazel slipped into anxiety.

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"Would you be willing to marry me?" he asked.

Hazel's mouth dropped open in surprise. He had asked the question so nonchalantly, as if he was asking her if she wanted pudding for dessert.

She open and shut her mouth a few times. A smirk appeared on Kyouya's face. Somehow, it didn't irritate Hazel, that smirk showed the old Kyouya was coming back.

"I'll be honest with you" he said. "My family is pressurizing me into marriage, and it's more convenient for me to marry someone I know than to waste precious time looking for suitable girls."

Hazel looked confused. Marriage? MARRIAGE?

"I would have asked Haruhi but she's already smitten with that fool" he said, attempting to make a joke.

Hazel let out a giggle. "I'm sorry, this is just too fast, I…. I don't think it's the right…"

"Besides, after what happened the other night, I don't think you can deny you are interested in me as more than just someone you work with" he said, cornering her.

Hazel blushed. "This…I know, but… I can't… Azure" she mumbled.

Kyouya stiffened. "You told me to move on right? I'm moving on. And I want you to come with me"

"I'll…I'll give you my answer tonight. Please excuse me" said Hazel, rushing outside, her mind whirling.

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Beep. Beep. Hazel remained tense as she clutched the phone and dialed Azure's number. They hadn't spoken to each other for weeks now, each one was busy. Hazel always knew deep down that if Azure moved away, their friendship would dwindle, but she didn't like it.

"HAZEL! Hey!" said a tired Azure, attempting to sound cheery.

"Azzie…Hi…Erm… I have to talk to you about something. Are you free now?"

"Yeah, Sure, What's up?"

As calmly as she could, she narrated the events that had happened. She left out the part about the kiss though. Not yet, she thought.

"Azzie, I know this is weird, but I had to ask you, is it…is it ok?" she whispered into the phone

"I … I don't know Hazel, I… Yeah, it's okay, I mean he has obviously moved on, and so have I, so we have nothing to worry about. Besides… you always liked him, didn't you?" she asked tenderly.

Hazel burst into tears. "I'm sorry, I… Thank you" she finally said, hanging up.

"_I'm going to be selfish just this one time, Azure_." she whispered to the silent phone.

Silent tears trickled down as Azure went back to her dorm.

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In an year, Hazel and Kyouya were married. Azure didn't come to the wedding, and Hazel didn't force her. She knew that this marriage would permanently drive a wedge in her and Azure's friendship but she couldn't let go of Kyouya.

4 years later, Hazel was working full-time in the Human Resources Department. She was happy. Her life was fine, her job was fine, her marriage was fine. She was pregnant. If she had a wish, she would have wished for Azure to come back.

Azure remained in London. She went on to get other degrees. She didn't think much about Kyouya and Hazel now. They remained dimmed in her memories. Sometimes at night, she would wake up flushed, when the two of them came alive in her dreams.

Kyouya remained his usual self. He had regained his composure, and worked diligently. There was a small part of him that Hazel couldn't reach. She knew only Azure had the key to that.

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They named the child Sekai. She was an adorable girl. Sekai grew up to be really smart but mischievous. Hazel couldn't help but think Sekai and Azure would have gotten along very well. She mailed Azure occasionally, but didn't send her any pictures of Sekai. She was worried that Azure would be hurt again and again.

Sekai was now 5 years old. 12 years had passed since Hazel had been dragged into the host club. Now all that was left were fading memories.


	13. Grim Reaper

Chapter 13

Hazel was finding the heat unbearable. She had gone downstairs to get some coffee, only to find the place shut due to power shortage. Sighing, she set out into the street.

"Kyouya would be mad if he found out I went walking on the street. I'm supposed to take the damned car then too…Oh Hell…I want a walk…So I'm walking. "

Her mind made up, she wove her way through the never-ending line of cars, checking the Signal Lights. The day was foggy. Well, it was more like smog…the pollution just made the whole fog situation so much worse, she couldn't see much ahead of her.

The signal post read "Walk"

She set off on a brisk pace, intending to get a drink from the café opposite. She had heard it was a good place for ice-mochas.

"Ouch!"

She had twisted her ankle. The pain was sharp, and she tried to hobble across, limping and barely able to walk. The honking around her rose, she was trapped in a whirl of smoke and dust, and miscalculating, she walked in the wrong direction.

Right towards a speeding car.

The frantic horn and the screeching of the brakes were too late. The crunch of metal against bone spiked the air, and Hazel found herself in a cloud of smog, and blood, and screams and shouts. But most of all, she felt the pain. It invaded her body like poison, rushing to numb her limbs. She could hear a shrill scream…Or was it her voice? It hurt so much, but her mind was already slipping away. She tried to remember…her Kyouya…her child…her life, but like rain, it was washing away…the memories were failing. The voices around her dimmed, and she closed her eyes, tears streaming, wishing to see her beloved ones just ONCE more.

"Get Az…zure"

Everything blacked out.

"Get Azure" The words whirled in his mind like a tornado.

It was a month after Hazel's funeral. Following Hazel's wishes, he had ordered Azure to be flown in from UK immediately for her funeral. She had decided to stay on, and joined her dad's business. Apart from appearing at the funeral, Azure didn't meet Kyouya. He had thrown himself into his work, exhausting himself to the point that he didn't have the strength to think, or ponder much about Hazel. It was painful, so he spared time only for his daughter. He still wondered why Hazel didn't mention her in her last words…Why Azure?

Of course, being Kyouya, he had acted on her meaning literally. The hidden meanings of her actions were lost to him.

Because even during her death, Hazel had already decided what was to be done. She loved them too much to leave them alone. And if she couldn't be with them, the friend she had held dearest would.


	14. Sekai

Chapter 14

"Daddy, will I never see Mommy again?" whispered Sekai when Kyouya came in to say good night.

"Do you remember what Mommy told you, about souls?" he asked.

Sekai thought about it. She could hear Hazel's voice in her head.

"When you meet a person for the first time, you leave a part of your soul in them. The closer you are to them, the bigger the piece is. So be careful, and don't try to break anyone's trust, because then you're destroying the piece of soul left inside of you. It hurts other people when you do that."

"Yes", she whispered. " Good Night, Daddy"

In the darkness, Sekai pondered her thoughts. "Maybe I can look for Mommy in other people. There must be a piece of her within me too." She smiled. "I wonder who has the biggest piece of Mommy's soul", she asked herself.

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"Daddy, can we please get some ice-cream here?" whined Sekai, pressing her nose up to the car window, "That's my favourite shop".

Kyouya sighed. He knew he was probably spoiling his daughter, but he couldn't bring himself to refuse her wishes. Well, most of her wishes. He knew he had to put his foot down the time she decided she wanted a tiger for a pet.

The shop was packed. Kyouya looked around in frustration, trying to spot an empty seat. Well, he'd just buy the ice-cream and they could have it in the car.

"Why don't you just find an empty chair and sit down?", he asked Sekai, " I'll be back with the ice-cream in a couple of minutes"

When he received his order, he looked around for Sekai, spotting her at a table next to where a lone woman sat, working on her laptop, her head swaying slightly to the music playing on her headphones. As he moved closer, he was surprised to realise it was Azure. Her hair had grown longer , he noticed, she had streaked it. Shaking his head to rid himself of such nonsensical thoughts, he made his way over.

When he sat down at her table, Azure finally looked up, and surprise was written over her face. It quickly gave way to other emotions, and she fixed a glare on him. He matched it back with an emotionless stare of his own, tipped with frost.

Sekai looked back and forth at the two of them in confusion. They had been staring/glaring for a minute now. It was like the game she played in school, where the person who blinked first lost.

Suddenly, Kyouya smiled. A real smile, Sekai noted. Like he was enjoying playing this stare-game.

And Azure blinked.

"Let's leave, Sekai" Kyouya said, getting up. "We'll be late if we don't hurry"

Sekai spared one last glance back at Azure as she walked out of the shop. I think I'll like her, she thought .


	15. Epilogue

Chapter 15

Epilogue

Azure re-read the single line in the e-mail.

"Dinner at 8pm. Le Plaza. Kyouya"

She looked at it in annoyance. Who did he think he was, ordering her around like that? What had happened to the Host-Club-Courtesy?

"I can't make it. I have a date that night." She sent the reply.

It wasn't really a date, just dinner with a client who had a business proposal that she was interested in. Kyouya doesn't need to know that, she thought . She was still smarting from the incident at the Ice-Cream Shop.

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"Alright, so if we sell certain shares, you think we'll make a better profit overall?" Azure asked her client, who was seated across her in the restaurant.

"Yeah, I'm sure, if you would just look at these - "

He was interrupted by the arrival of a police Inspector. They both stared at him in surprise.

"I'm sorry sir, I have to take you under custody" the Inspector said whipping out a pair of hand-cuffs. "I'm afraid our recent investigations prove that you have been involved in matter of drug-trafficking"

Azure could only look on in shock as the police led away her client. Drugs?

A man sitting in one of the dark corners of the restaurant made his way over to her table.

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"Eating alone, I see" said Kyouya, "Or is your date an imaginary friend?"

Still recovering from her shock, she didn't give a response as Kyouya seated himself across her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, half-annoyed, and as much as she hated to admit it, half-pleased at the sight of him.

"Just passing by. Thought I'd get something for dinner. The soup here is excellent" he said, picking up the menu.

Yeah, Passing by, I bet, she thought. He had probably done a thorough investigation on her schedule as well as the history and business of her client. It was possible that he had tipped off the police.

She was a little thankful that he had uncovered the drug deal. Not that she would ever tell Kyouya. It would be bad for her business's reputation if she had been connected to a drug dealer.

"So…how's…your daughter?" she asked, unable to think of what to say.

Before he could answer, another interruption materialized. "Sir, you have a board meeting in 15 minutes. Shall I get the car-"

"Postpone it" said Kyouya, still scanning the menu.

The man looked horrified. "But, sir, it's important. Executives from abroad-"

"Which part of postpone it did you not understand" asked Kyouya, looking at the man with a slow smile. Enough to send chills down your spine, thought Azure, suddenly getting an urge for giggles. She had to cover her mouth to stop herself.

"Yes sir. Sorry Sir." He bowed and left.

In spite of herself, Azure was touched. He was making time for her, something she had always complained about. She couldn't stop her smile.

"So shall we order?" asked Kyouya, signaling to a waiter.

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"Thank you, Lee. Here is the cheque. Nice acting." said Kyouya, handing over a piece of paper. He stood outside the restaurant. Azure had just left, and his car was waiting on the curb-side.

"My pleasure, sir.", the actor replied, grinning. "Her client almost wet his pants in fear. We pretended to let him off on account of the evidence not being concrete. He ran back to his car and zoomed off as if there were wild animals after him"

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It was inevitable for Kyouya and Azure to not get back together. Each one had grown in different ways in the time they had spent apart, but somehow their past still connected them.

They went out to dinner a couple more times, and the old flame of passion blazed again. They didn't talk about the past or the break-up. They focused on the future possibilities.

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They married soon. Sekai became very attached to Azure. "Tell me all about Mommy" she would beg her.

"Hazel was my best friend", Azure would start, " One day, we met the Host Club…"

Sekai remained in Azure's lap as she heard the story, again and again. She knew who had the biggest piece of her mom's soul. Hugging Azure close, Sekai whispered softly, "Found you, Mommy".


End file.
